Problems with 2000 Ford Focus ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving at night time headlights failed, only the high beam worked. also, this vehicle had a problem with misrouted battery cables. dealer not notified. vehicle's warranty expired. *ak

I have been very patiently waiting for ford to issue a recall on their ignition system. it is very pathetic. both of my ford focus vehicles have these problems. i used the cars in a normal fashion for over 4 years. at the end of year 3 the keys in both my focus cars stopped working correctly leaving stranded at work one time. i had to call a locksmith who told me that this is a common problem with the focus and that the replacement cylinder will likely fail again as it is a problem with the overall design of the ignition system from ford. i paid over $300 for this problem and now am experiencing this hell again in year 4.5. i am very dissatisfied with ford now and have not heard of any recall. both my cars continue to experience these key problems and are becoming almost unusable at this point. *jb

Key would not go into the ignition. stranded. had to have vehicle towed and ignition lock cylinder had to be replaced

Defective vehicle - numerous major problem and defective parts, recalls

Consumer was unable to insert the key inside the ignition. vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that ignition switch needed to be replaced , and replaced it. however, the problem recurred. *ak

Key ignition and steering wheel is locked, cannot turn key to start car. when i called the ford help line, i was told that this was new, nothing they've heard of before. however, when i called the dealership they referred me to the mechanic asked me what i drove. i said ford focus. he asked what year, i said 2000. then he said that key ignition is a common problem with the 2000 focus and that they've had to fix several focus' for that specific reason alone. ford needs to do a census of how many of their dealership have logged in this problem because the complaints are all over the internet, too many to ignore!!! this needs to be a recall issue. *jb

Ignition would not turn so key is stuck inside. *la

Consumer went out to start car and key would not turn, ignition was locked in place, it would not move. also, steering wheel was locked. consumer took vehicle to dealership, and they said they never heard off such occurrences. *ak

Consumer states that she is having problems with her vehicle's ignition switch again. she states that last year this time the key would go in the ignition but it would not unlock and turn. the mechanic repaired it, she had another switch put in. this year the same thing is happening. the key will go in the ignition, but it will not turn the auto on. it is like the switch is frozen in place. consumer states when she spoke with the mechanic about the part that is now defective, and the year's warranty is not up, the mechanic says he will have to charge her again. he does not want to honor her warranty on the part which he put on the vehicle. she states she still has a couple of weeks left before the warranty expires. *ph

Electronic system-ignition switch trouble getting key in. once key was in, ignition would not turn. had to be replaced. *ph

The ignition switch on our 2000 ford focus locked up. the key would not turn in the ignition and stranded my wife and children. the ignition switch had to be replaced by the ford dealership. the car is 4 months out of warranty and only has 22,000 miles. after complaining to the dealer, they reduced the repair price to ~1/2 of estimate and told me to hold the receipt in case there is a recall. *jb

My key got stuck in my ignition, but i finally got it out but then could not insert key. had to get it towed and was told by tow driver that was his 4th pickup that week of the same type car and same problem. i had to get it fixed myself.*ak

When placing the key in side the ignition vehicle failed to engage. key didn't turn left or right. vehicle had been in repair shop multiply times. cause of failure was undetermined. manufacturer was aware of the incident.*ak

Keys do not come out of ignition when vehicle is turned off. shifter also moves when car is supposed to be in park. car will lock up on you before you can get your children out from back due to keys not coming out of ignition. was in shop for repair for matter was not remedied. brought back for an estimate for second repair and was told to replace shifter assembly. *ak

The consumer stated the dealer replaced the ignition switch. *jb the key would not turn in the ignition and as a result the driver was stranded. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they replaced the ignition cylinder. *ts *nlm

At any speed, the vehicle intermittently stalled on the highway. vehicle had been to the service dealer seven times for the same problem. on one occasion, the dealer replaced the fuel pump, but it did not fix the problem. when the incident happened, after about six minutes, the vehicle could be restarted. manufacturer and the dealer have been notified. *ak when the vehicle stalled the odometer went blank. when the odometer was functional again, the vehicle could be started. the power relay was found open and was replaced and the fuel pressure dropped while the vehicle was in motion. *scc *jb

Went to church on sunday, came out to go home, put key in ignition, went half way, thought it was alarm, did everything to move the key, nothing. had it towed to dealer. advised by service dept, this problem is not covered under the extra care, and not covered under factory warranty over 36k miles. vehicle about 36k miles. estimate $500.00. this is the 2nd time vehicle in shop. called out to ford, and they said everything is just fine with their cars, and that they are not aware of any complaints on this issue. ford dealership, so quick to devour customers, and when trouble happens, can't find anyone who can help. my car is now sitting at the dealer, waiting for my authorization to pay $500. to fix it. i am without a car. what a nightmare, i'm just grateful, this incident did not happen far away from home with my kids in the car. any advice on getting rid of this lemon without being a negative on my credit? would sure appreciate it. i don't know who else to further this complaint, it seems like i'm stuck with it. please help.*ak

Various problems involving 2000 ford focus.*mr recall campaign #02542 was issued for the vehicle in reference to defective battery cables. *cb

Ignition locked up and won't start. dealer stated this problem was common and consumer should contact a locksmith to remedy the problem. *ak

Along with the on going problems i have with my 2000 ford focus, i recently stalled while sitting at the light, i came to find that my positive battery cable was so corroded and burt. causing me to stall. i had taken it to the dealer in august of 2003 they claimed to have inspected and rerouted the battery cable and torqued the pinch bolt. they told me i needed a new battery and offered to do this for me for 190.00 i declined the offer, never did they mention the cables, i had the battery replaced that same day. several weeks later my battery light comes on, i take it back to the dealer and they tell me it's my fault and now the alternator will need to be replaced and the frayed positive cable which is burnt completely is not their fault. they tell me that they will not fix the battery cables unless i pay 390.00 to have the alternator fixed. these issues with my car are as a direct result from this battery cable issue. there are also still many other issues with this car including a leak which they think means the car is actually cracked in half. the service advisor verbally attacks me and gives me the finger and tells me to talk to the hand. the service manager steps in and does nothing to help me. in the meantime i all i wanted was the cables replaced as it is stated in the recall. so i can dump the piece of crap. *la

Could not remove key from ignition. key would not turn in the ignition. had to be towed to dealership and ignition swith replaced.*ak

When attempting to restart vehicle ignition locked without warning. dealer notified. *ak

Key had trouble going in to ignition switch, when key finally did go in, key will not turn. car will not start. car towed to dealer, tow truck driver said my car was 5 or 6th this week with same problem! dealer informed problem was not under warranty and there was no recall for the problem. total cost was almost $600 including tow bill!*ak

My focus's ignition froze up and was unable to operate. the dealer said they had been replacing alot of ignition cylinders lately. the extended warranty i bought from ford did not cover the problem. every other ford i have owned has had to have the ignition replaced as well.*ak

Ignition lock system failed, rendering vehicle unusable. *ak

When placing the key in the ignition vehicle fails to engage. also, while driving on the highway vehicle will suddenly accelerate, then stall. *ak

The key could not be inserted into the ignition. the dealer stated the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the switch was not covered under the extended warranty. in addition to not being able to start the vehicle, the power windows could not be rolled down. *ak *nlm *jb

While consumer's wife was driving vehicle caught on fire, smoke was coming out from the air conditioning vent. dashboard melted, and windshield melted. *ak

In aprox. 09-2003 my 2000 ford focus's ignition cylinder locked up due to manufacturer default. i know this because i personally know of hundreds of people that this has happened to.this should be recalled and new ones should be installed to prevent stranding.*ak

Key would not go into ignition, car towed to dealer they replaced at cost of 350+ would not cover under extended warranty. *ph

Ignition switch locks up & won't turn. see many more complaints on identical issue with 2000 ford focus at ww.automotivetalk.net/showmessages.php?id=1275. we all can't be crazy and we're all going broke over the same problem? shouldn't ford take care of their own defaults? help?*ak

Consumer states while driving at 55 mph vehicle started to stall, then caught on fire. dealer notified. *ak

Rear passenger door on the left side locked and will not open, either from the inside or the outside. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the locks were not covered under the warranty, and it will cost in excess of 500.00 for repairs. *ak the consumer's wife was working with the left rear door. the switch had come loose and the left door was currently working. the right door was still failing. no electrical power switches were working on the doors. six fuses were replaced. the electrical problems were still not repaired. the door problem occurred two days after purchase. *sc *jb

The consumer was unable to start the vehicle because the key failed to go into the ignition. dealership had to replaced the ignition cylinder. also, the left turn signal did not cancel once the turn was complete. the dealership replaced the turn signal switch. *ak. the dome light failed to come when the door was opened, the dealer replaced a burned out bulb. *jb

2000 ford focus ignition locked up. unable to turn key in the ignition, making it impossible to start the vehicle. this was the 4th occurrence of the same problem. each time the car had to be towed to the dealership. each time the cylinder had to be replaced. the third time it was done the service tech neglected to tighten the master nut on the steering column (which was replaced...too badly worn from removing the cylinder the previous times), and the steering wheel nearly came off in my hands while driving. the dealerships have replaced the cylinders at no cost to me thus far, but having to go thru this about every nine to twelve months is quite annoying, not to mention extremely inconvenient. this time i will ask that they save the old part and give it to me. *la

Consumer's vehicle experienced the same problem as mentioned in recall 02v288000 concerning battery cables. dealer would not repair the vehicle because vin number was not included. *ak

I own a 2000 ford focus stz. i bought this vehicle for my wife and kids. the first incident with this vehicle was back in i think march. the ignition froze, leaving my wife stranded at work and the kids at the babysitter. she had to find a ride to the babysitter and then home. she then had to call a tow company and have the car towed to skyline ford in salem oregon. she was told that there have been quiet a few focus with this problem. the service tech knew immediately what was wrong with the car. we were 100 miles over the factory warranty!! we had to pay for the faulty part. the next problem was in the beginning of august. we went to get ice cream. the car stalled as we were leaving the ice cream store. the car would not start. it finally started after about 15 minutes. we were only about 10 minutes from home. all the way home the car acted like it was not getting enough gas. upon arriving home, i opened the hood and noticed that the battery cable was melted. we called skyline, who could not get us in until saturday. it was 3 or 4 days. now we are told that we have to pay $120 for a faulty part!! there was a recall on this car for faulty battery cables. we are told that if ford decides that there is a problem with the actual cable, then we will be refunded the $120. this is outrageous!! i wish that i had never purchased this car. it has really hurt my opinion of ford products. *nlm

Has been to shop for 26 days in the past 4 months. repeated failure of clutch (manual transmission), failure of brake pads, resulting in minor crash. have had to had ball joints replaced. cruise control was disconnected from accerator/brake. key would not go into ignition and resulted in key ignition switch having to be replaced. numerous recalls and trips to shop since bought brand new in august 2003*ak

Constant squeaking noise when the brakes are applied. i've already replaced the rotors, brakes, brake pads, and drums on several occasions since buying this focus about 3 years ago. also my steering wheel locked on me one day in april of 2002 the key would not fit into the ignition to start the car i have no idea why this would happen from one day to another. i had my vehicle towed to the ford dealership and they didn't know what the problem was caused by. they said that they needed to update the lock cylinder. luckily i purchased the api extended warranty that cover the car for 100,000 miles. so the cost of the work done for this was $427.20. all but $50.00 of which was my deductible was cover by this warranty. the problems didn't stop here. i also have had to get the cd systems that came installed in the car replaced. the was a constant clicking noise with the cd player and 90% of the time the cd's wouldn't even play. i called the dealership and they said that they could replace it for me but that it wouldn't be coverer by the warranty so i would have to pay for it out of my pocket. i ended up having a new system installed but not from the ford dealership, i took it to circuit city. recently this month july 2003, my car has been staling and shutting off at stop signals and stop light also just shut completely off on the freeway thank god no accident occurred. i called the dealership to report this problem also my check engine light would come on and off several times and they said to bring it in and they would check the engine light but that i would have to pay $165. 00 just for them to check the light and it would be more $$$ to repair what ever problem it was. i was fed up by then. *ph

While driving vehicle began smoking, then caught on fire under the hood. dealer diagnosed melted battery cable as cause.*ak

Battery light goes on and off at will - no apparent pattern - car also shudders and stalls when idling in gear - does this on a daily basis several times a day and has done this since purchase! dealership could find no reason for this while under initial warranty - on second attempt to fix the computer was replaced (under 80,000 warranty) due to 'wrong chip for this car' - when car was picked up it was running - after parking at home could not restart car had it towed back to dealership and all car keys had to be re-programmed at our cost 'because you must have done something to them'! within 2 days car was once again flashing it's battery light and shuddering/stalling! *ak

Consumer stated the ignition locked up. dealer notified. please provide any additional information. *ph

The ignition key was difficult to place into the ignition cylinder. once placed inside, the ignition switch would not turn at all, it was locked up in place. an internet search revealed over 7300 hits on "ford focus and ignition problems". the cost of tow and repair was $350.*ak

The factory power entry remote failed to open the doors and the trunk. the batteries have been changed but the problem still exist. the dealership feels that the problem is due to a failure in the fuse. the dealership was unable to locate the fuse. the fuse should be located behind the main fuse in the vehicle per the owner's manual. please provide any additional information. *nm *mr

Fuel pump went out and it also made the fuel pump driver module to go out as well. also there is a loose connection at the fuse junction box in the engine bay.*ak

2000 ford focus. bought at sanger ford outlet new. problem: cable and wiring frayed. result: aaa called. dead battery. towed. inconvenience. *ph

Ignition key does not turn. with only 55144 miles the ignition key should not be a problem. dealer stated they have several cars with the same problem so is obviously a defective part. i feel the dealer should pay for this type of repairs, there are at least 50 other consumers complaining of the same problem right on this site. please conduct and investigation as soon as posible, sooner or later someone will be injured as a result of this faulty ignition. *ak

Went to get into my car after working a night shift and put the key in the ignition of my car. the ignition would not turn and the key could not be removed from the ignition. had the car towed to the dealership and paid to have the ignition drilled out and replaced. almost exactly a year later the same thing happened with the ignition. had the car towed to a locksmith and paid him to replace the ignition. have heard of a lot of complaints about this!!! *nm

The owner was unable to unlock the rear doors from the inside and outside. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer four times. *ak the entire automatic system stopped working. the rear door behind the drivers seat was unable to be unlocked or opened from either the inside or outside of the vehicle. the passenger side door became jammed. the lock(s) were all replaced and failed twice at the dealership. the automatic window's worked intermittently. *scc *jb

2000 ford focus with ignition failure key would not turn. consumer stated that the key would not turn. when the dealer fixed the problem she ended up paying for the repair. and then the problem recurred 6 weeks later. *kb